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Two Recent Graduates Named Woodrow Wilson Michigan Teaching Fellows

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Two members of Hope College’s graduating Class of 2014 have been named 2014 W.K. Kellogg
Foundation Woodrow Wilson Michigan Teaching Fellows.

Alexandra Benson of Alpena and Grace Blank of Three Rivers are among 43 teacher candidates
introduced at the Michigan State Capitol by Governor Rick Snyder on Wednesday, June
11.

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Woodrow Wilson Michigan Teaching Fellowship recruits
accomplished career changers and outstanding recent college graduates in science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics (the STEM fields). The 2014 Fellows are the
fourth class of new teacher candidates to be prepared through the program since the
Fellowship was launched in Michigan in 2010.

“Michigan needs to develop talent for in-demand jobs so our students are best prepared
for long and productive careers,” Snyder said. “The W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the
Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation should be commended for working to train
people, many with experience in the STEM fields, to work in our urban schools, where
they will share their knowledge as well as become an inspiration to young students.”

Each Fellow will receive a $30,000 stipend while completing an intensive master’s-level
teacher education program at a participating Michigan university, including Eastern
Michigan University, Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, Wayne
State University, and Western Michigan University. The institutions provide Fellows
a full year of experience in local classrooms, as well as specific teaching approaches
for the STEM fields.

Benson, who majored in chemistry at Hope, will attend Wayne State University. Her
activities as a student included participating in research, serving as a laboratory
teaching assistant, the Chemistry Club and the Mortar Board honorary society. She
is the daughter of Jon and Jacqueline Benson of Alpena, and a 2010 graduate of Alpena
High School.

Blank, who majored in chemistry and sociology at Hope, will attend the University
of Michigan. Her activities as a student included participating in research, serving
as a laboratory teaching assistant, the Chemistry Club and serving as an academic
coach with TRiO Upward Bound. She is the daughter of Dr. Paul and Sara Blank of Three
Rivers, and a 2010 graduate of Hackett Catholic Central High School.

Since the program’s inception in 2010, 239 Fellows have been named in Michigan. After
their preparation, Fellows commit to teach for at least three years in a high-need
Michigan school, with ongoing support and mentoring. The Fellows to date will have
a projected eventual impact on the lives of more than 20,000 students each year.

“We take tremendous pride in these Fellows,” said Arthur Levine, president of the
Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, which administers the program. “They
are accomplished people, they are passionate about the STEM fields, and they are deeply
committed to young people. They will change countless lives, and the campuses and
districts they are working with are changing the way teachers are prepared.”

The Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship was launched in Michigan with $18 million in
support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Other participating states include Indiana,
Ohio, New Jersey, and Georgia. In each state, gubernatorial leadership and statewide
coalition-building have been key to the creation of the program, as has a blend of
private and public support. Several additional states are in discussion with the Woodrow
Wilson Foundation about creating their own programs, said Levine.

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation
by breakfast cereal pioneer, Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic
foundations in the United States. Guided by the belief that all children should have
an equal opportunity to thrive, WKKF works with communities to create conditions for
vulnerable children so they can realize their full potential in school, work and life.

The Kellogg Foundation is based in Battle Creek, and works throughout the United States
and internationally, as well as with sovereign tribes. Special emphasis is paid to
priority places where there are high concentrations of poverty and where children
face significant barriers to success. WKKF priority places in the U.S. are in Michigan,
Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans; and internationally, are in Mexico and Haiti.
More information is available at wkkf.org.

The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation of Princeton, New Jersey (woodrow.org)
identifies and develops leaders to meet the nation’s most critical challenges. In
1945, the Foundation was created to meet the challenge of preparing a new generation
of college professors. Today Woodrow Wilson offers a suite of fellowships to address
national needs, including the education of teachers and school leaders.